The Body Shop Advocate
~ WE ALL DO BETTER TOGETHER ~

Tyler Lamm from Mike's Auto Body pushing a dent and
using the door edge guards donated by NCS for the Sponsor Showcase
THANK YOU
to NCS for supplying these Vietech Edge Protectors
for our Sponsor Showcase!
FROM THE DESK OF OUR PRESIDENT

Who Survives?

With the mergers, acquisitions, MSO's, DRP's certifications, and other scary terms, one can become doubtful of their very own survival. One great thing about this industry is its many diverse opportunities. Review what got you this far. If you don’t find a niche you're simply not looking hard enough. Build on that. It may however be prudent on your part to do some managerial overview. Take some quiet time to sit and think. What’s been working, what’s clearly not, what should be measured. What changes? What gets left alone? As Dave Luehr recently pointed out in a monthly coaching session “do more of what matters most." As far as those mergers go, MSO’s and such...a quote from Simon Sinek sums it all up very well. “Don’t freak yourself out by what others have. They don’t have what you've got”

Larry Terrien
President WCRP

***Receipt of this Body Shop Advocate E-news does not equate to a membership. Please consider becoming a member of WCRP by clicking here.
KNOW OF ANY SHOPS LOOKING TO JOIN WCRP?
Forward this newsletter to them! They can click here to go straight to the membership form or they can call Deb at 262-542-7707.
DUES ARE NOW ONLY $150 / LOCATION!
PLEASE WELCOME A FEW NEW MEMBERS!
BOOK REVIEW

How about one more great book?
"Here is an invaluable management tool that outlines foolproof ways to increase productivity by fostering excellent morale in the workplace. It is a must-read for everyone who wants to stay on top in today's ultra competitive business world."
This is a great one on inspiring the changes you’ve begun or have been forced to begin. Just once more, may I point out you’ll need to change or soon become irrelevant. Before too long this industry will not be what it was. Ferris Bueller so well put it, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it”
It’s a great, easy read, tells an inspiring story and it should be made into a movie. Summer's coming, take it to the beach with you. Click on the book to go to Amazon for purchase!
Start working on your business for just $79 a month. No contracts! If it's not for you, cancel anytime. Use code WCRP21 & save 21% every month!
SCRS VIDEO SERIES

Click on the link below to view Mike Anderson and Danny Gredinberg's SCRS Quick Tips video series. You can subscribe to them here. We have access to all the information we need to thrive in this industry, we just need to commit to utilizing some of it!
 
Click here for the video: Replicating the texture of OEM Seam Sealer
CCC, Mitchell and Audatex: Additional preparation stone guard & textured areas

Some vehicles may come from the OEM with chip guard/stone guard applied to the rocker areas under the paint. There may be instances where a repair may only need to refinish or blend over the textured areas. Refinish Times in all three estimating systems do not account for any additional labor that may be needed to properly prep the textured areas with peaks and valleys in the texture. Any additional labor to bring the panel to “new and undamaged condition” would be an “on the spot evaluation” The steps required...click here to continue reading.

Do you have a "not-included" tip to share with everyone? Send it to Katy at [email protected] and we may include it in a future e-news.
KNOW THE LAWS!
779.41 Mechanic's liens.
Every mechanic and every keeper of a garage or shop, and every employer of a mechanic who transports, makes, alters, repairs or does any work on personal property at the request of the owner or legal possessor of the personal property, has a lien on the personal property for the just and reasonable charges therefore, including any parts, accessories, materials or supplies furnished in connection therewith and may retain possession of the personal property until the charges are paid. Continue reading here
GUEST EDITORIAL

The views expressed below may or may not be the opinion of more than one WCRP member…(that’s what happens when you solicit someone’s opinion)

Co-Pays

In the pursuit of customer service, we may have all shot ourselves in the proverbial foot! How so you ask? The average car owner (our customer) is now so far removed from the claims process, they have very little involvement and consequently have lost any control over that process. Simultaneously they know less about their car than any time since the transition from horses in the early 1900's. Now add in the high percentage of those buying their insurance online, utilizing price as the only deciding factor, and it’s all just a bad combination.
Now, as a professional collision repairer, you and you alone fight for the cost of proper repairs based on the discounted policy they bought. Again, based on the discounted policy “they” bought. But there is hope! You could ask for a co-pay of the specific items you are not in agreement on. Be it parts or labor. Procedures should follow the OEM recommendations. Gasp, you utter! A “co-pay”? Don’t write the idea off just yet. I’ve had several successes of late, explaining the parts or labor charges that conflict with what I feel is the best repair. Granted they were people who cared for their vehicle and we took the time to explain the why. We further detailed out the costs, clearly. These customers were also savvy enough to understand a discounted insurance policy is a lot like a Payless shoe store. You get what you pay for. It’s not going to work every time (and don’t pick battles you have no chance of winning), but the form below presented professionally can work well, and if it doesn’t, it will certainly elevate your status as the professional. (A DRP relationship certainly adds a concern but frankly I see no reason you can’t offer them the OEM option. I’ll assume your screwed-on labor rates...the cost of a DRP agreement?)
At some point in time, the medical industry began suggesting things besides leaches and shock therapy. That was nice of them. We should do the same for the motoring public.

 Do you have an opinion on a subject that pertains to our industry? If you can tone it down and keep it under 300 words, we could print it here. Keep it clean and try not to offend more than 10% of our members.
Please submit your wording to [email protected]
Click on this form for a printable PDF version.
We also have an Excel version of this that you can plug your own numbers into and it will do all the calculations for you! If you would like a copy please email Katy at [email protected]
THIS MONTH'S FEATURED SHOP
 
MULTIPLE SHOP OWNER
DEAN OLSON
  
I always had a passion for working on cars from a very young age. I pursued my passion and in 1995 opened my first shop in Rhinelander called Quality Collision Center. We started with 3 employees and now have 15. Shortly after, Island Collision Center in Minocqua and Eagle Collision Center in Eagle River were established. Then in 2016, we opened RJ Collision Center in Tomahawk. Between all 4 locations we have over 50 employees. Most of our staff has spent the majority of their careers in the automotive collision repair or mechanical industry and have been part of our team for many of those years. 
 
1) What is your biggest daily challenge in the shop?
Our biggest daily challenges in the shop are the shortages of workers in the labor pool that are looking to get into the automotive industry, as well as being compensated properly from insurance companies for the quality work that is being performed.

2) What gets you through the day or motivates you? What motivates me is a completely satisfied customer. The majority of customers come to us because of an unfortunate situation. Providing our customers with outstanding customer service and quality repairs is very rewarding.  
  
3) What is something you charge for that apparently “No other shops charge for?”
Feather, prime and block (P+M and Body)
 
4) What is the best insurance company you deal with? West Bend & Acuity

5) What is the worst insurance company you deal with?
Geico.
 
6) Do you have a unique skill, service, or marketing position?
We have always focused on performing the highest ethical and quality repairs using state of the art technology while providing an outstanding customer experience and excellent work environment.

 7) I’d love to talk to other shops about:
The future of the Collision Repair industry and where it is headed.

8) What is your favorite thing to do outside of the shop?
In my free time, I enjoy boating, hunting, riding my motorcycle, going to concerts and traveling. 
 
9) What can WCRP do for you and/or your business? Help promote and educate the future of our industry.

 

P.O. Box 841
Merrill, WI 54452-2841
262-542-7707